A Short-stay English study Programme: Coffs Harbour
Amanda Taura
Abstract: Setsunan University runs an annual three-week short-term study trip for students in the English language and International departments, to the English Language Centre at Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia. Approximately 20-30 students, usually in first or second year, participate in this tour escorted by one teacher from the English department and a second travel agency staff member, depending on the final number of students. The 2009 tour is described here from selection process to the return to Kansai airport, along with useful suggestions for the preparation classes held prior to departure. Advice on making the trip more manageable for the teacher involved is given and insights into students' opinions are offered from the daily English language journal that they were encouraged to write.
[要約] 摂南大学の外国語学部では、英語及び国際文化専攻の学生対象に、オースト ラリア・ニューサウスウェールズ州・コフスハーバーにあるサザンクロス大学での 3 週間の英 語プログラムを毎年開講している。1，2 回生を中心に 20～30 人が参加し、通常英語コー スの教員 1 名と旅行業者のスタッフ 1 名が同伴する。本稿では 2009 年実施内容を、選考 から関西空港帰国までの過程を詳細に記載するとともに、参加学生の日誌から垣間見ら れる本音を探る。更に、事前準備授業で改善できる点や、付き添い教員にとって過負担に ならないプログラムのあり方も提起する。
Introduction:
Aoki (2011) in her article on Japan's business woes, discusses a country that will be "far behind in the global language of business" because students studying at university do not see the urgency or reason to study English for their future. Japan therefore "appears to be falling behind its neighbors in nurturing personnel who can compete in a globalizing world" when compared in particular, to other Asian countries and their emphasis on English to get ahead in world business. The majority of universities in Japan, however do offer both short and long study trips for their undergraduates to encourage them to use English during the August/September summer break, broaden their horizons, and help them to immerse themselves in another culture. Some Japanese universities even incorporate a one-year overseas study experience for all their students, which they need to complete before they can graduate. One such university in the Kansai region is Doshisha in their Global Communication Department for all their second year students. The students would hopefully return to Japan feeling more confident in their English fluency with a stronger desire to work hard on their language skills. According to Bennett and Bennett (2004) "as one's experience of cultural difference becomes more complex and sophisticated, one's competence in intercultural relations increases". Students would need to enter university, ready to pay for one year's overseas study costs. The monetary outlay however is a difficult issue with many students and their parents in today's economically-challenged Japan. Any short-term programme, is a positive start or small baby step towards intercultural sensitivity and it can serve as a "taste" of study overseas, for first year students, who could then decide to go abroad again for longer during their second or third year. At Setsunan University, the Coffs Harbour short-stay programme and the Los Angeles internship programme both offer short introductory opportunities for students to experience life, study and work, in the case of the internship, in an English-speaking country.
This paper presents an overview of the short-stay English study programme in Coffs Harbour, Australia for a group of 32 university students from Japan, who took part in a short-term three-week study trip to Australia in 2009. Prior to departure, students studied with their escorting teacher in seven 90-minute classes as
preparation for their overseas experience. Each year, the Department of Foreign Studies at Setsunan University offers a three-week short-term August / September overseas trip for students, at the English Language Centre on campus at Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, Australia. The Language Centre provides a five-days-a-week intensive ESL programme exclusively for our students. The students receive one credit from Setsunan University if they successfully complete both the pre-departure and Australian intensive classes. They also have the opportunity to experience life in a small country town with a homestay family, mentored by an accompanying Setsunan teacher who is on hand to provide support particularly in the first week after arrival, as this is the time when the most teething problems occur. In first term each year, one teacher from the English Department volunteers to firstly teach the seven preparation classes to ready the students for their study programme, then accompanies the students from Kansai Airport to Coffs Harbour and back again. More recently, from 2012, the teacher chaperone stays for the first week only, when the students need a lot of support and then only the accompanying travel agency tour escort remains with the group until the end of the course and two-night stay in Sydney for sightseeing to use the English confidence they have acquired. Coffs Harbour is accessed by a 60-minute plane trip from Sydney to Coffs Harbour (540 kilometers north of Sydney), or a half-day bus trip from Gold Coast Airport in the north (320 kilometers south), looking at the sights along the way, such as the beautiful beaches along the eastern coastline and the Macadamia Castle farm where many macadamia nut products are sold. In 2009, via Gold Coast Airport on Jetstar Airlines was the way we chose to arrive into Australia and were picked up by the bus arranged by the English Language Centre at Southern Cross University.
The process that the teacher goes through with the students is described in detail including the language issues, the selection process of the students, the tour conductor, the Coffs Harbour English Language Centre, how the pre-departure classes are organized, the students' assignments, the organization tactics used for the large number of student participants into groups with leaders, laminated emergency cards, journals, the roles of the accompanying teacher and tour conductor, the
homestay families and issues that occurred, the ESL programme in Coffs Harbour, the teacher support on campus, the final sightseeing trip to Sydney before returning to Japan and finally some suggestions for future groups.
1. Language issues
One of the hurdles that the non-Japanese English teacher must clear when taking on the accompanying chaperone role, is that at Setsunan University, previous reports, powerpoint slide presentations, and information is all in Japanese which adds a language challenge. Talking to the teacher who travelled with the students the previous year, is of course an important step in preparation, but it may be difficult to find the time in a busy term schedule. The present teacher's classes before departure were all conducted in English to give maximum exposure to the students in the target language, and the previous materials developed by the Japanese teachers of English, were not suitable to be used, being all in Japanese, the present writer had to start from scratch. These pre-departure classes are an extra duty on top of the usual 8 or 9 undergraduate classes taught each week.
2. The selection process
The selection process involves advertising the trip for any students from 1st to 4th year, asking them to write a letter explaining why they wish to participate, looking at their academic records, and then making sure that they attend the pre-departure classes faithfully. At least 20 students need to go to make a group discount viable, and a smaller number of students while attractive for the accompanying teacher, is not possible. The Setsunan University foreign studies office manager and teacher are involved with the selection process, and then classes start at the end of May in the first term. There was some debate in the English department about the maturity of first year students and if they should be allowed to go on the study tour. One year, prior to 2009, the first year students were not deemed proficient enough in English to cope with the trip as they had only had one term of English classes on campus, before setting out for Australia. They were also immature in their outlook and approach to the short-term trip, not seeing it as a "study" tour, but as a chance to just to have fun and not study English seriously, rather like a high school excursion. Of
course, enjoying the tour is one of the positive aspects as well, and making friends. However, in 2009, this rule was reversed, and first year students were included on the tour because it also gave them the chance to see a reason to study English and motivated them at an early stage of their degree. In 2009, there were five first-year students, nineteen second-years, and eight third-year students who participated. These numbers provided a great opportunity for the third year students to offer their experience and become group leaders to assist the teacher.
3. The Tour conductors and Organization of the tour
Previous to the present writer's chaperoning of the 2009 study tour, two teachers had always been seconded for tour escort duties if the number of students topped thirty. In 2008, the teacher escort was accompanied by a travel agency tour conductor for the first time. Since the teachers were required to go with the students for the entire three weeks, this was a big commitment over the summer break for the teachers themselves and working in rotation, teachers needed to take another turn to visit Australia again quite soon. In 2009, for the second time a teacher and one professional tour-escort from an outside tour company (Mandela Company) undertook the chaperone duties. This really put the responsibility of the 32 students all onto the one teacher, as previously the teachers could share the duties, as they both attended the preparation classes and got to know the students. This time, however, the tour conductor did not know the students very well but she was a useful addition to the team, had graduated from Hawaii University and spoke English fluently, and was in her late twenties and related to the students, being closer in age. She attended the preparation classes twice before we departed, enabling the students to get to know her a little. She tried her best to help any students and also had had previous experience travelling with large groups. The airline tickets and ETA visas (Electronic Travel Authority) were organized by the on-campus Zero One Travel Agency. Coffs Harbour organized the study portion, homestay families, and 2 nights 3- day trip to Sydney at the end of the tour including bus transfers to Sydney, accommodation, excursion to the koala park/zoo on the way down to Sydney, and transfers to Sydney Airport from the hotel. The chaperoning teacher and the Setsunan Foreign Studies office manager worked together to
facilitate the tour. However, from 2012 Kintetsu Travel began to organize the tour and flights and work together with the accompanying teacher while providing the travel escort.
4. Coffs Harbour English Language Centre, Southern Cross University
For many years, from approximately 2000 the university had a direct agreement with the Coffs Harbour Language Centre sending several long-term 20 or 40 week students to study there twice a year in March and August, as well as the large short-term study group, and in return a more reasonable price was offered for the land content of the tour. In 2009 the cost of the whole trip for students was 257,000 yen for the entire 3-week programme, making it an attractive price for the students. However in 2013, this has now risen to 380,000 yen, a price reflecting the rising costs for study in Australia and the inclusion of a travel agent and tour escort in the planning from beginning to end (to decrease the administrative work by the teacher who goes). This price also could also even increase even more if the number of students does not reach the necessary magic number of 30, making it a very expensive prospect indeed for the students' parents who usually fund this university-promoted study tour for their children. Coffs Harbour, Australia was originally an inexpensive destination but now the cost is quite prohibitive for students considering the cost of a return airfare to Australia on Jetstar is only around 100,000 yen return per student. The staff at Coffs Harbour, English Language Centre Southern Cross University have always been welcoming to our students, and the homestay families provided by the English Language Centre, have mostly been very favourably regarded by the students themselves. While obviously there is some monetary gain by the families in hosting the families, most are genuinely interested in building ties with the students, and enjoying their company on outings.
5. Organization of Pre-departure classes
The seven classes were organized for the students in the following way. They took place on Tuesday afternoons, when students all had a free period to slot in for this extra class. The classes commenced at the end of May, culminating in the last class in August, in the summer holiday break, just before the tour was due to depart. For
class content, three themes were emphasized.
Theme 1: Practical information for the trip itself:
- About the location including transportation and places to see
- The university programme outline with the everyday schedule, facilities on campus and computer access for projects
- Telephoning home including Skype and telephone cards
- Safety issues particularly focusing on going out at night, using taxis as opposed to buses late at night and walking only in well lit areas
- Money (credit cards, cash, ATM machines, costs of things, the exchange rate, traveller's cheques
- Travel by airline emphasizing how to keep passports safe and ETA visas, immigration and the Australian entry and departure card procedures - Customs with food and liquid restrictions
- Health considerations including medicines to take, sunscreen, insurance - Things to take - clothing for the opposite season in Australia, traditional
Japanese clothing to dress up in on campus, a song to be sung at the farewell party
- Electrical adaptors and plugs to take
Theme 2: The homestay family and the cultural awareness and sensitivity needed
when becoming the 'foreigner' in another country (not calling Australians 'foreigners' in their own country):
- A DVD on homestay manners was shown which led the students through a Japanese student's arrival in an English speaking country from the first meeting at the airport, at the house with a tour, keeping their rooms tidy, bathroom etiquette, meeting the neighbours, cooking for the host family, inviting friends over, self-serve morning breakfasts, making their own lunches, the meals to expect at night, and discussion opportunities for all these points.
- Thinking outside the box - situations were presented encouraging the students to think about what they would do in a certain situation, discuss
with their group members and then advice was given by the teacher. Example: What would you do if halfway through your shower the hot
water ran out? Or, what would you do if your host mother told you not to eat the food in the fridge without asking? Discussions such as these gave the students an opportunity to consider possible points of tension in a host family situation.
Theme 3: Memorization and practice of survival English to help them communicate
in a polite way with the host families and the people they would meet. The conversations ranged from small talk, how to say thank you, commenting on the weather, asking the host parents for a favour politely for example a lift in the car, asking how to use the washing machine or change the bed, meeting the neighbours, playing scrabble or games after dinner, dinner conversation and how to join in, and a final thank you for everything. Cultural understanding as well as practical hints and language preparation helped the students during their short-stay in Australia, and also these classes helped them to understand the possible difficulties, frustrations, and experiences they would have, ahead of time.
Class 1: 26 May
The Zero One Travel agent and Setsunan Foreign studies office staff member both attended and had the students fill in the paperwork to apply for airline tickets, visas, emergency contact details and insurance. Applications for passports had already been made by the students themselves previously, and each student was advised to organize a credit card for emergency purposes. In this class, an explanation of the entire programme was made. Students were given an information handout in Japanese by the Setsunan office, which included payment details, documents necessary, health checks, cancellation details, tour inclusions, the fact that study was the purpose of the tour, and skydiving or motor bike riding was not permitted.
Class 2: 2 June
Introductions of the students to one another, to the teacher, the tour conductor - purpose of trip - rules of conduct - itinerary for Coffs Harbour and Sydney -
Homestay forms for Coffs Harbour to proceed with placing the students in a family - homestay partners (pairs - decided in this class) - passport copies collected - group divisions, group leaders (3rd year students) and telephone trees created for contact purposes between teacher and group leaders and their group members.
Homework: Memorize homestay English.
Class 3: 9 June
Australian culture and general information, a look at Coffs Harbour and Sydney and the geography and tourist spots, credit cards and money advice, preparations before going, group leaders' (3rd years) jobs and individual members' jobs, and an example letter to the homestay family which was sent prior to the students' arrival with a photo. The 32 students were divided into pairs for accommodation -- 2 girls / 2 boys -- for homestay families and hostel accommodation in Sydney. Then the pairs were combined into groups of 8, with one group leader from second or third year. Mobile phone, mail and home telephone contact trees for each group of 8 were made and all the group members sent e-mails to their group leader and the group leaders to me. The large number of students made this a necessity along the way, particularly at the airports, when going on day excursions, passing on messages, and making sure all students could talk to their group leader if they were a little shy talking to the teacher escort or the tour conductor. The jobs allocated to the group leaders were:
1. pass on messages from me
2. airport duty - meeting up with your other 7 group members and being the last person behind the group members to make sure everyone is there
3. final document check -- passport, Australian cash, questions
4. In Australia, journal collection everyday from each group member and give to the teacher for checking (students had to write any problems about the host family, food, other issues in red in the journals)
5. make sure if your group members have any problems to let the teacher know 6. keep the members on time for excursions and always do a head count 7. stay together as a group in Sydney
8. in Sydney make sure the group is back to the hostel by the 8pm curfew 9. work together in your group to make dinner at the hostel in the kitchen or buy
food for group members and bring it back
Homework: Write a letter to your homestay family in English and bring with photos and an envelope
Class 4: 16 June (no class the following week)
Lecture on safety, handing in letters to be posted onto the homestay families. Techniques for safety such as money belts, not carrying designer bags, always watching your belongings and keeping an eye open around you, were discussed.
Class 5: 30 June
Homestay manners and souvenirs to buy for your homestay families, cooking for your families (take recipes with you) / watching a DVD of a homestay student and their experience (see Appendix 2 for a list of manners to share with the students for when they are with their host families, and some useful conversation strategies). A group project researching Sydney tourist attractions gave the students an excellent chance to bond as a group - the same group they would be a part of for excursions, and in Sydney at the very end. It also encouraged the students to be involved in the planning and gave them an opportunity to become familiar with tourism English and create a booklet that would be both a useful collaborative effort, as well as a learning experience.
Homework: Memorizing Homestay English. Group project researching the places to visit in Sydney for the English travel booklet we made. Each group was given the places, then they researched things to do, costs, opening times, and location and were asked to make colour information pages to photocopy in booklet form, including nearby shopping areas, and markets. The tourist spots were The Rocks, Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, China Town, Darling Harbour, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, The Botanical Gardens, Lady Macquarie's Chair, the Bridge climb, Sydney Harbour Cruises, Ferry rides, the Powerhouse Museum, and cheap eats and supermarkets in the city area.
Class 6: 7 July
Survival and Australian English, student presentations on the Sydney itineraries and places to visit during the last 2 days of the tour, first meeting with the tour conductor,
making of emergency cards (small laminated business card size cards with emergency telephone numbers for contact with Setsunan, homestay family telephone numbers, mobile phone number of the teacher, and 000, the Australian emergency telephone number for police or ambulance, see Appendix 1). In addition, two of the present teacher's seminar students who had studied in Coffs Harbour on the long-term study programme were invited in to talk about the area and answer any questions the students had.
Homework: Learn how to make something in origami (take paper) for the visits to high school and the daycare centre in Coffs Harbour and practice the English song (Country Roads with amended words for the Coffs Harbour setting) for the graduation ceremony on campus.
Class 7: 19 August (just prior to departure and during the summer break)
The travel agent, tour conductor, accompanying teacher and all group members attended this important and last class before leaving. A final check was made, instructions for the English writing journals (to be completed in a daily basis by students) were given, a pre-questionnaire was given as well as a pre-listening test, the telephone trees were checked, practice was given on the entry and departure cards, and lists given of what to bring. Students were reminded that homestay problems could occur in the first week and that it would be fine to change families if there was a problem they could not handle. The emergency cards were handed out including the teacher's and tour conductor's international mobile telephone phone numbers for contact while in Australia, and students were given their homestay family names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and a small amount of information about them, such as "The Smith family enjoy gardening, sport, beach, swimming, fishing and reading".
6. The roles of the teacher escort and tour conductor
The 2008 study tour was the first time that a teacher, had been accompanied by a tour conductor, as opposed to two teachers, so the aspects of the job and working together were not clearly defined, especially since a different company was used in 2009, to provide the tour conductor. The Japanese bilingual tour conductor for the 2009 study tour was an excellent support for the teacher, and when students had
teething problems communicating with their host families or others while out on the town, she assisted the students in Japanese on the phone. We provided a good support team. After arriving in Coffs Harbour in the afternoon on the bus, the students were all placed with their host families, and the present writer and tour conductor headed home for the apartment accommodation that we had organized ourselves within the budget provided by the university. Every morning, we arrived on campus at 7:30 am, in time to meet with the group leaders, whose job it was to give us the student journals written in English. We chatted with the students before classes began. Then headed into the library on campus to read through the journal entries, make individual comments on each journal and note any problems. At lunchtime we met the students again in their lunch hour, and addressed the problems, and the action they could take. The present teacher wrote a daily report as well to remember the events as they happened (see Appendix 3). While the afternoon classes were on, we had time to work on our own projects on campus. There were excursions held for the students during their time there, which the teacher and tour conductor also took part in and these times were once again, a chance to talk to the students. By the second week, most problems were ironed out, and the students were enjoying their time with their host families, and managing to communicate to some extent. The weekends were basically for the students to spend time with their host families on barbecues, swimming at the many local beaches or shopping, and the teacher escort and tour conductor could have some free time as well although, some phone calls were fielded from the students when they got into trouble with the wrong bus, for example. The tour conductor was very efficient, in the following ways: (1) making sure the students always had their passports. Students left their passports inside their large suitcases, rather than carrying them on their person when traveling which was a problem we confronted. (2) confirming the accommodation in Sydney, room numbers and morning calls and contacting students who did not turn up for the early morning departure. (3) providing Japanese language support and a sympathetic ear for the students if they got too upset to use English and (4) always making sure we had the correct number of tour members each time we got on a plane or bus.
7. The ESL study programme at the English Language Centre
The itinerary for the students was as follows: Day 1: (arriving Sunday)
Arrive Gold Coast on Jetstar, bus transfer to Coffs Harbour with stops along the way at the Gold Coast Beach area, Macadamia Nut Castle, and lunch at Macdonalds in Grafton, ending in a visit to the Big Banana museum and gift shop. Meet Homestay families on campus.
Day 2: Welcome and Orientation. Placement test to decide the different levels of English classes (usually 2 classes). Lunch. Visit to a local private High School. Day 3: English class, lunch, Computer lesson
Day 4: English class plus cultural awareness morning tea meeting with Technical college (TAFE) students who are studying tourism on campus. Lunch. English class. Day 5: English class or one class to visit to the childcare facility on campus. Lunch. English class.
Day 6: English class. Lunch. Botanic Gardens Visit (vocabulary studied before going).
Days 7: (Saturday) Free Day with Host Family.BBQ organized by the language school at the local jetty for students and their families all together.
Day 8: (Sunday) Free day with host family.
Day 9: English class. Lunch. Visit to the Pet Porpoise Pool and photo with a seal. Day 10: English class or Childcare facility visit. Lunch. English class.
Day 11: Southern Cross University Tourism Lecture with other university students& English class preparation before attending. Lunch. English class.
Day 12: English class. Lunch. Free afternoon for students to go shopping and use the local buses without any accompanying staff. They also must arrange a pick-up point with their host families at the shops that morning before leaving home.
Day 13: All day activity at the Dorrigo Rainforest and Skywalk, with lunch at Bellingen, a small traditional country town. Graduation ceremony and afternoon tea back at the university with the host families in attendance.
Days 14 & 15: The weekend - Free Days with Host Family.
Day 16: (Monday) Morning departure for Sydney on the bus. Visit the Billabong Zoo with many Australian animals (lunch included), along the way. Sightseeing in
Sydney on arrival. Accommodation at the Sydney Youth Hostel.
Day 17: Free day in Sydney (meals own cost) - students were required to move around the city in their groups for safety, and return to the hotel by the 8pm curfew to make their own dinner or bring back their meal to the Youth Hostel.
Day 18: Free day Sydney (meals own cost) Day 19: Depart for Japan early morning.
The entire programme was enjoyed by the students, and the English classes taught at Coffs Harbour provided the vocabulary that they needed for their excursions to the various locations. There were some problems along the way, but the students were very satisfied with their experiences. They used the tourism booklet they had all made about Sydney, and enjoyed their sightseeing, with no major safety issues as they all returned to the youth hostel by the curfew time designated by the present teacher. The last 3 days provided many opportunities to use the English they had studied in Coffs Harbour as they communicated with many local people, and negotiated their way around the tourist attractions. It was a positive reward for all their efforts.
8. Student Journals and teacher support
The student journals were given out in the last pre-departure class. They were in the form of a stapled handout of ten double-sided blank lined pages with two days' worth of entries per page (dates were at the top for each entry). The students were advised that writing the journal would be:
1. part of the requirement for the one credit given for participating in the study tour, and failure to work on it and submit it daily, would mean not receiving the credit. 2. a place to share problems in the journal for the teacher to see and help them. 3. written in English, thus providing the students a good way to improve their fluency.
The teacher looked at the 32 students' journals on a daily basis in the mornings while they were in class and then responded directly during lunchtime. Some of the comments are included here to reveal the students' opinions and issues they had. It was the first experience for many of the students to go overseas and some of the issues they faced may have seemed insurmountable to them, when encountered in a
country where they could not communicate efficiently, and only had a short time to sort things out and negotiate with their host families. With such a large number of students (32) and only minimum time to talk to them in the mornings, the journals were a valuable source to identify potential problems, and be able to discuss strategies or give advice to the students at lunchtime or when they had finished their classes.
Problems encountered by students:
First time experience overseas for first year student, with low level of English:
This female student H was in first year, and had never been overseas before. She was paired with a third year student who could help her adjust in her homestay situation. First of all she had teething problems with understanding the family dynamics.
(Day 2) After school, our host sister S picked us up and drove us home. I
thought she looked angry. Maybe we weren't waiting in the place of appointment and I didn't answer her question because I couldn't understand what she said.
When my host family is tired, isn't it good to speak to them?
This problem was directly related to the students' lack of confidence in her language ability, and she was given some strategies to use,
such as Have you got time to talk now? Or I can see you're tired, can I help with
anything?
Then this entry by the same student on Day 3, indicated her continued frustration and adjustment she was going through in her host family away from Japan.
(Day 3) Tonight, I hate myself because I can't speak English well and I dislike
my own character. I cried and cried. My host brother, sister and friend from Setsunan staying with the same host family, were worried for me.
It was suggested that she show her host family her journal, or write a letter to explain her feelings and that everyone feels frustrated with a lack of communication at first, and that is part of the learning process. The third year student who was staying with H also wrote about the first year student's negative attitude more than a week after arrival.
(Day 9) I went to Sawtell Beach for walking again. H (the first year student)
walked on the beach alone today. She avoided me and host family members while walking….When H is thinking, she always keeps alone and she doesn't tell the reason., so I am at a loss when she thinking and falling silent.
Perhaps the best lesson in communication that the first year student learned was that by not talking, and remaining apart she did not have a positive experience. This also changed her attitude on her return to university and she joined a club (cheerleading) to participate and make friends. Her three weeks were for her, a life-changing catalyst.
Host family mismatch:
The male student had this problem with his host family from Day 1, and his share-friend, also a male student in second year at university, did not feel the same way. However, they both agreed that a change would be better in the first week. K felt there was a problem and wrote:
(Day 1) My host family is tough to deal with so I worry a little. My host mother
is very cold towards me and not kind and friendly. I need more warmth and friendship otherwise I have many stress.
The other student Y in his comment indicated that students react in different ways to the people in their host family but if someone is extremely unhappy, then the first week is the best time for them to change with minimum stress for both the host family, and the students themselves.
(Day 3 - moving day to a new host family) I think I'm sorry about our host
mother. She is kind. She took care us anything. So I worry about her feelings.
After moving, the new host family was on a farm, and the two students even helped to bury a horse that died on the property the day after they arrived, which was a 'first' for both students. Both students felt similarly positive about their new host family.
(Day 4) My new host family is good. After school we went to the top of the hill.
There was a good place. There were goats and two dogs and four horses and many chickens. I enjoyed it there.
Long showers and using the hairdryer:
Two female students - one in first year and the other in third year staying with the same host family had said that their host mother did not like them washing their hair (both had long hair) and using the hair dryer for a long time to dry it as it wasted both water and electricity.
(Day 3) My host mother say me, 'don't use a hairdryer everyday' and 'don't
wash your hair everyday'. I can't do it. I want to wash my hair everyday. And I want to use a hairdryer everyday. My host family is kind so I can't say a complaint.
After talking to the students and suggesting they negotiate they talked to their host mother and said they would cut down on the time they spent in the bathroom, and take quicker showers. She agreed that this would be fine.
(Day 4) I'm glad to talk with host mother about a shower everyday. She said
that we can shower everyday but we have to change to a short shower so we try to short shower hard.
Unfortunately, however, the situation was not resolved, and the host mother was still apparently upset about the length of the use of the (hot) water and on the day before the students left for Sydney, there was another incident.
(Day 15) I had the worst time after school. My host mother complained about
our taking a shower. It was inconceivable. We tried to take a shower quickly. So I got angry but I couldn't explain well in English. I couldn't tell about my mind. I felt like crying. My host family house's atmosphere is terrible. I hope that this problem is resolved before tomorrow morning but I think it is all but impossible. I'm sorry about that. (The students left for Sydney the following
day).
Other issues included where to buy international telephone calling cards, which involved the students being brave enough to ask their host families directly, finding the food too heavy and wanting to eat something lighter, rice not being on the menu and homesickness but this was also connected to food. One student jumped off a jetty into the water and developed an ear problem which luckily was not serious. Students could work their own way through these smaller issues with encouragement from their friends on the study trip and with advice from the teacher
and tour escort every morning and lunchtime.
Cooking with the homestay family (as suggested in the pre-trip preparation
classes)
Most of the students followed through with the suggestions offered in the preparatory classes and took recipes with them to Australia to make something for their host families, which was a successful way to bond.
(First year student, Day 6) We cooked chirashi-zushi. My host mother and
father was glad, but the children didn't like the fishes.
Daily menu for dinner at the host family:
(Third year male student, Day 2). This student loved the food, and commented about it most days.
Today's dinner was pizza. In particular, putting pineapple, ham and cheese. It was very nice. (Day 3) Today's dinner is curry. It was delicious. (Day 4) Today's dinner is spaghetti with meat sauce. It is very yummy.(Day 5) Sausages, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. (Day 6) tortilla with tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and meat. (Day 7) Lamb meat, potatoes, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. My host mother is a very good cooker. (Day 10) By the way, today's dinner was Thai noodles. It was good. (Day 11) I went to a restaurant with my host family. I ate garlic bread and beef. In Australia the beef is a very big size. (Day 12) Today's dinner was a BBQ including steak, bread, potato and salad.(Day 14) Today I made sushi and okonomiyaki and my host family said "Thank you. It was very yummy". I was very happy.(Day 15) Today's dinner was potato-bake. I thought it was the best food I ate in Australia.
Comments on using English
(Second year female student, Day 15) I could feel that even if I couldn't speak
English fluently, I could communicate with my heart. That was a good experience for me.
Comments about the Coffs Harbour course
(Second year female student, Day 4) This morning's lesson was with Australian
children. They were pretty and very funny. I had an unforgettable experience.
(Second year female student, Day 10) To my surprise, the newspaper in Coffs
Harbour Today's Advocate put me and our classmates' photo next to an article about the Multicultural Festival we went to on campus. This must be the best souvenir.
(Third year female student, Day 11) I talked with a TAFE student. He studies
hospitality. We talked about our homestay, his study, hobbies and favorite movies.
(Second year female student, Day 12) I went to the Dorrigo Rainforest today.
Dorrigo has beautiful sky, nature and scenery. The Skywalk is powerful and the Rainforest is like a Ghibli world. I walked in the Rainforest. It's good exercise.
(Second year female student, Day 15) Today was the last day that we could go to
university. I'm sad because I like the class and C, my teacher. She was hyper and above all her English games were very funny.
Comments about the Coffs Harbour nightlife
(Second year male student, Day 4) I went to a pub (Coffs Harbour Hotel) with
friends. When I was playing billiards, I drank beer.
Interesting comments about Australian culture BBQ experience:
(Second year student, Day 7) At the BBQ with all the students and their host
families, I ate many sausages. I ate the sausage of kangaroo. I have never eaten it. Kangaroo meat was not very delicious. It looks like liver.
Shopping:
(Second year student, Day 8) My friend and I bought swimwear. We'll go to sea
on Saturday. Australia's swimwears are too sexy for me. I must become thin. Music:
(Second year student, Day 2) At night with my host family, we played a guitar
game together. It's very exciting. I think I can't speak English and communicate with family very well but music can amuse us all over the world.
Different things:
(Second year male student, Day 8) We went to the porpoise pool. We were
kissed by a sea lion. When I came home I fed the chickens, ducks and goats. After dinner I went star watching. There are lots of stars. I was impressed.
(Second year female student, Day 2) When we came home we and four dogs
went for a walk. It was a beautiful view with a great river and many trees. And I saw a kangaroo!! I was very surprised.
(Second year female student, Day 8) Today is very cold. I don't anticipate this
weather. Today's clothes a mistake.
Sydney trip
(2nd year female student, missing Japanese food) Today we went to eat lunch at a
Japanese restaurant. This was the 3rd time!
(2nd year female student on sightseeing) Today was a beautiful day too. We went to
Chinatown and Paddy's Markets. The products were very cheap. I bought a kangaroo and koala doll. For dinner we went to buy KFC.
(2nd year female student, about the last 3 days in Sydney) Sydney is a very good city.
I like it. I love Sydney. I want to come again.
(2nd year male student on sightseeing) The Harbour Bridge climb was very exciting.
We watched great view. But it was a little terrible.
Final comments
(Third year male student Day 18) I'm very sad to be back home. I want to live here
(Australia).
(Second year female student, Day 18) Australian life was very enjoyable. I want to
go to many other countries.
9. Pre and Post Departure Listening Test results
The students were tested using the JACET listening test in the last class prior to departure, and then in the last class on campus in Coffs Harbour before they returned to Japan. The results are given below.
Student / grade/ Gender F or M Pre-test -listening (JACET test A) Post-test -listening (JACET test A) 1st yrs Stud. 1 (F) 8 10 Student 2 (F) 12 10 Student 3 (F) 3 6 Student 4 (F) 1 8 Student 5 (F) 6 10 Total: 5 (F) 0 (M) 2nd yrs Stud 1 (F) 1 9 Student 2 (F) 11 8 Student 3 (F) 4 9 Student 4 (F) 14 11 Student 5 (F) 7 11 Student 6 (F) 10 9 Student 7 (F) 15 12
Student 8 (F) Didn't take 10
Student 9 (F) 13 13 Student 10 (F) 7 19 Student 11 (F) 5 12 Student 12 (F) 15 11 Student 13 (M) 11 13 Student 14 (M) 7 6 Student 15 (M) 13 10 Student 16 (M) 11 8 Student 17 (M) 8 10 Student 18 (M) 11 10 Student 19 (M) 7 9 Total 12(F) 7 (M) 3rd yrs Stud. 1 (F) 12 10 Student 2 (F) 8 9 Student 3 (F) 6 10 Student 4 (F) 9 12
Student 5 (M) 6 Didn't take
Student 6 (M) 12 12 Student 7 (M) 17 18 Student 8 (M) 12 9 Total 4 (F) 4 (M) Total 32 students 5 first years 19 second years 8 third years 21 (F), 11 (M)
Results: The group average was 9.84 (SD = 3.82) in the pre-rest and it was 10.80
(Standard Deviation = 2.86) in the post-test. A paired t-test was carried out with the results t (24) = -1.89, p>.05.
The results showed no improvement in listening skills as assessed by the JACET listening test. The test consists of four sections with Part I being the easiest and Part IV being the most difficult. This study used only parts I and II (out of a total of 20 points). If each section had been analyzed separately, to see for example, examining only Part I which was the easiest section to see if the scores had improved or not, and considering our students' lower listening levels, the results could have shown improvement. The conclusion that can be drawn from this result is there was no apparent impact on students' listening skills after their three-week intensive English exposure, although the Standard Deviation became less, indicating that the group became more uniform and the lower level students were catching up with the rest of the group.
10. Useful books, DVDs, and CDs to help facilitate the pre-departure classes
In the process of teaching preparations for both short-term and long-term preparation classes for students at Setsunan University the following materials have been very useful to use in class and to give the students for homework after class, so that they feel more confident before leaving Japan. These texts use written format, DVD and CD to provide students with information from a variety of different formats. They particularly enjoy the DVD segments which make the destination they are heading off to seem more real in the classroom, and this in turn helps them to study the subject matter seriously and get the most out of the classes before they actually leave Japan. The more they study and make themselves aware of the cultural morays, in addition to the learning the vocabulary for the situations they will come into contact with, the more confident they can feel about their departure.
Aoi, Y. (2007) Homu Sutei ga Motto Tanoshiku naru hon (A book to make your
homestay more fun) Osaka Shoseki (useful to pose problems to the students and
have them think about the solutions) This book is in Japanese and introduces what will happen when students go to the US to study and homestay including common
sense, everyday life, cultural gaps, homestay situations, possible English problems and money. The examples are offered in the form of an experience, then advice on how to deal with the issue.
Fuller, D. and Cleary, K. (2007) Adventures Abroad, Macmillan Languagehouse (great visual materials) This English text has an accompanying CD which is a wonderful visual aid for the cities that the students may visit on their overseas programme. The countries covered are Canada (Victoria, Vancouver), the UK (Manchester, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford, London), Australia (Sydney, Brisbane) and the US (Portland, Chicago, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas). There are two parts to each chapter which are invaluable in the classroom. The first is the "Cityscape" DVD where a short clip on the the city is introduced by a narrator, and comprehension questions are asked. This is followed by "Meet the People" where everyday people on the streets of the city are interviewed and asked about their city, and Japan, and give the students a chance to listen to the accent, speed, delivery, to help them understand how to pick up the gist of the conversation rather than attempting to understand every word.
Gaimusho Kaigai Anzen (Japanese Foreign Affairs Overseas Safety) Video - This video is in Japanese with various dangerous situations in Europe for Japanese tourists, and makes students aware of the possible pitfalls of travel and safety issues.
Minehane, G. (2009) Door to Door, Perceptia Press (A good overall study guide) This textbook in English is touted as a 'Complete Study Abroad Guide' as it includes sections on before you go, a homestay guide, country guide with fact files for Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, projects to do while abroad and a when you return chapter as well. The first section is particularly useful preparing the students to be able to talk about themselves and Japan, and get things ready to share with their host families, and the topics include: Me - Talking about Myself, Introducing my family, My typical day, My hometown, Visiting popular tourist attractions, Holidays and festivals, Sport in Japan, Talking about pictures and places,
Introducing something Japanese and lastly Modern Japanese lifestyles/culture.
Parrott, G. (1999) Homestay English, Eichosha (A book the students could buy, practice, and memorize for all speaking contingencies)
This handy bilingual Japanese/English small-sized book is a great one for students as it has a total of 76 different conversations with the Japanese translation that they will use with their family members including small talk and the weather, saying thank you, asking for a lift in the car, what to say if getting lost, giving a compliment, asking how to use the washing machine and ending with thanking the host family for everything.
Riley, L. and Shackleford, N. (2012) Suitcase, Perceptia Press (Some great advice on coping) This textbook in English has some useful sections including a list of helpful language learning strategies for students to help make them aware of their own role in the learning process overseas, including for example, how to overcome difficulties to help you be more successful with the language, how to manage your feelings when you are feeling anxious, worried or stressed, or how to work with others to make tasks easier, and my personal favourite, reading, and the suggestion that students should read as much as possible in English.
Someya, M., Ferrasci, F., and Murray, P. (2007) Humorous Homestay Stories, Nan'un-do (Funny stories for some light humour and listening and vocabulary practice) This text is in English with a CD and is very useful for listening practice, in addition to providing students with some real-life unusual cultural bloopers that have happened to other students studying overseas for example the "doggy bag" story and the "chicken" story. Interesting materials, combined with useful resources and projects that the students can work on prior to departure, help the students to prepare themselves thoroughly before they leave.
Conclusion
The classes to prepare students before they leave are essential. The cross- cultural training at Setsunan University before the students left on the short-term
study tour enabled them to work things through despite the differences in customs. Making small groups of eight with older students as mentors worked out very successfully particularly in Sydney where the students were on their own for three days and keeping them together in these small groups kept them safe. Even though Setsunan University does not presently do this, as part of the short-term (and long-term) overseas experience, classes after their return could be incorporated into the curriculum, to build upon the positive experience that the students have had, and encourage them to maintain their motivation with research projects, maximum use of English in the classes and the opportunity to extend the cultural knowledge of the country they have visited. Possible topics could include polite English (pragmatic information on requests, gratitude, compliments, and refusals), a photo expo, class survey, letters of thanks to friends and host families, and the sharing of journals (Minehane, 2009). The Coffs Harbour course provided a wonderful combination of study in the classroom, excursions using the English they had studied, and forays into the community for real life conversations with pre-school children, high school students and university students and the opportunity to speak and ask questions, in addition to their homestay family experiences. This location, in Coffs Harbour, a small country town, as opposed to life in a big city was a safer, more easygoing environment for the students, and once they had built up some basic communication skills they were then able to visit Sydney at the end of the trip to be 'let loose on the city', though with certain boundaries in place. The short-term study trip is a chance for students to 'be brave, take risks, and expect to make mistakes' (Bodycott and Crew, 2000), and increase their self-confidence for further English study.
References
Aoki, M. (6 January, 2011) Japan far behind in global language of business, Japan Times, retrieved 14 June 2013 from
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/01/06/news/japan-far-behind-in-global-lang uage-of-business/#.UYy6pOBC81
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Bennett, J. M., & Bennett, M. J. (2004) Developing intercultural sensitivity: An integrative approach to global and domestic diversity. In D. Landis, J. Bennett & M. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training, 3rd Edition (pp.147-165). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
_____________________________________________________________________
Bodycott, P. and Crew, V. (2000) Living the Language: The value of short-term overseas English language immersion programs, The Language Teacher September retrieved 14 June 2013 from www.jalt-publications.org/tlt/articles/2000/09/bodycott _____________________________________________________________________
Minehane, G. (2009) Door to Door, Perceptia Press
Appendix 1: Laminated Emergency Card for each student
Appendix 2: Part 1: 10 things you need to know about your Australian host family & Useful Conversation strategies
1. I want to make a good impression on my host family so I will search the Internet and I will learn some things about Australia, Queensland and Coffs Harbour before I leave Japan. That way I can show my host family how interested I am in their country.
2. I know that houses in Australia will smell different to houses in Japan. I understand that some houses have carpets. The carpets are not dirty, but even if I think that they are I will never tell my host family, or any other Australians, that their homes are dirty, because I know that is very rude.
3. I know that many Australians go to bed earlier than Japanese. Some families expect children to be in bed before 10 pm and some families go to bed even earlier. If I am not sleepy I will still go to my room and be very quiet. When my host family asks me to turn out the light I will do as I am asked. I promise to get up when I am asked to get up so I am ready for school in the morning.
4. Even if I am told that I can just take food from the refrigerator or cupboards I will not do it, I will always ask first. I know my host family wants to be kind to me but I do not want to take something I should not take by mistake. I know that you can never be too polite when you are living in another person’s home.
5. I promise to always ask before I use the phone (with telephone card). I will not ask to use the phone every night I will try to do so no more than three times a week. When I do call home I will not spend more than five minutes on the phone. I will only ask to use the phone to call my family not my friends or relatives.
6. I understand that Japanese feel the cold more than Australians. I know that it may be difficult for me because in Coffs Harbour it is warm during the day and cold at night. I will take warm things to sleep in at night and warm slippers for the morning. I will not complain to my host family about being cold at night. If I am not happy I will ask for another blanket. Or talk about it to the Coffs Harbour staff.
7. I understand that food is different in Australia. I know that Australians use more water to cook rice, and that milk, meat and even water might taste different. But it is only for three weeks, so I will not complain to my host family about food. I will not ask for different food or Japanese food. I will do my best to learn to like Australian food.
8. I will not stay in the bathroom for longer than 15 to 20 minutes. I know that others need to use the bathroom too. I will not use the shower (stand under the running water) for more than 5 minutes. I will not leave water running when I am not using it. I will not splash water on the bathroom floor. I will not bang on the door and shout if I am waiting to use the bathroom. I will knock quietly and wait patiently if it is being used.
9. I will not hide in my room. I will do my best to spend as much time with my host family as I can. I do not want them to think I do not like them.
10. I will not store food in my room because I know it will attract ants. I will ask my host family where to put food. I will not hang wet towels or clothes in my room, I will ask my host family where to put them.
Part 2: Useful Conversation strategies. 1. Can’t understand:
Sorry, can you say that again please? 2.Expressing enthusiasm
That’s really good / That would be wonderful 3.Starting a conversation
Nice day today, isn’t it? 4.Illness and colds
*(to someone else who has a cold) Look after yourself. 5.Question techniques
I was wondering if you could help me. I’d like to know…. 6.Delaying techniques:
Well let me see.. 7.Avoiding answering:
I’m sorry, I don’t really know 8.Requesting techniques
Could I possible borrow a _____ please? Could you possibly (give me a lift in the car)?
9.Attracting attention, agreeing, refusing Attention: Uh, excuse me Agree: Sure , I’d be glad to Refuse: No it’s all right. I can manage 10.Offering to do something:
Can I help you with that? 11.Accepting:
That’s very nice of you, thanks. 12.Asking for Permission
I hope you don’t mind, but would it be possible for me to...? 13.Give permission:
Sure go ahead 14.Refuse permission:
I’d rather you didn’t 15.Agreeing
That’s just what I was thinking
Appendix 3: The final bilingual report submitted Setsunan University on the teacher's return to Japan
24 August Mon- arrived. Transported by bus to SCU campus - left 7am from airport arrived 3:30 with 4 stops along the way - beach, macademia nut castle where nuts are grown and sold to passing tourists, Macdonalds for lunch (at Grafton), and the Big Banana. Students given campus tour, and went home with their families. 8 月 24 日（月）到着。送迎バスで SCU キャンパスへ。7 時空港発、4 回の途中休憩 を経て、午後 3 時半に目的地入り。途中休憩は各、浜辺、マカダミアナッツが栽培 され観光客に販売されるマカダミアナッツ・キャッスル、グラフトンのマクドナルド（昼 食）、そしてビッグ・バナナ。到着後、生徒はキャンパス内を案内され、その後銘々 のホスト・ファミリーと帰宅。
25 August Tues- Placement tests - 2 classes high and low levels. Students enjoying host families. Small problems with getting used to food, taking short showers, and
being tired from using English. Daily English journals they write for me, are a great way to communicate with such a large group (32).
8 月 25 日（火）。プレイスメント・テスト（クラス選別試験）実施。クラスはハイ（高）とロ ー（低）の二つ。生徒とホスト・ファミリーの様子は概ね良好。ただし食の違い、短時 間のシャワー、英語のみの生活での疲労など、小さな齟齬あり。生徒は毎日日記を 提出。32 人という大人数の調子を把握するのに適切な方法と思われる。
26 August Wed- Students like their teachers - Kerry, Christine, and June, and are enjoying their class activities - meeting with university students on campus for morning tea was a great chance for them to ask questions and interact today.
8 月 26 日（水）。生徒は両クラスで教員のケリー、クリスティーン、ジューンを気に入 った様子。授業も楽しんでいる。今朝、現地の大学生たちとキャンパス内でお茶会 をし、生徒たちにとっては質問するなど交流の良い機会となった。
27 August Thurs- 2 students changed homestay families today. Students are studying about Australia, and enjoying the background information they are gaining. Students had a visit to the daycare on campus to interact, and sing songs with the 0-5 year old children.
8 月 27 日（木）。生徒 2 人が今日付けでホスト・ファミリーを変更。生徒はオーストラ リアについて学び、背景的な知識を蓄えつつ、当地ならではの勉強や発見を楽し んでいる。生徒はキャンパス内のデイケアへ交流に行かねばならず、0 〜 5 歳児の 面倒を見たり歌を歌ったりした。
28 August - Fri - Classes for the students - I checked their English journals as usual to monitor for any problems, and am always on campus at 8:40 in case they need to talk. 1 student sick with a cold, and she stayed in the sick bay on campus in the afternoon with the tour escort, Ueda-san, from 1-4pm while the rest of us did a walk in the botanical gardens and mangrove swamp 10 mins from the uni. Students had worksheets to do, and enjoyed the outdoors after being in class all week.
8 月 28 日（金）。生徒は授業。日課である生徒の日記をいつものように問題がない か閲読。生徒が話す必要があれば応じるために毎日 8 時 40 分にはキャンパスに待 機。生徒の 1 人が風邪をひき、午後（1 時〜4 時）をツアー添乗員のウエダさんの看 病のもと、キャンパス内の保健センターで過ごした。その間、残りの生徒を連れて大 学から 10 分ほどの距離にあるボタニカル・ガーデン（庭園）やマングローブ湿地を 散策。生徒は課題としてワークシートを受け取っていたが、到着以来教室に籠って の受講をうけて、青天のもとでこれをこなすのを楽しんだ。 29 aug -Sat 8 月 29 日（土）。
30 Aug - Sun - BBQ for students with host families run by Mitsuharu Dan who barbecued the meat for everyone on the Jetty Foreshores from 11am-2pm.
8 月 30 日（日）。各ホスト・ファミリーと生徒が防波堤に隣接する広場に集結し午前 11 時から午後 2 時までバーベキュー。ダン・ミツハラさんに全員分の肉を焼いて頂 いた。
31 Aug - Mon - Classes started again with the students heading off for their classrooms without needing to be told where to go. They are now used to campus life here. Lunch 12-12:50pm and then we headed off to the pet porpoise pool to experience meeting the dolphins. 1 more student sick with a cold.
8 月 31 日（月）。生徒たちが指示を仰がず各自教室へ向かう所から講義再開。こち らでの学校生活には慣れてきた様子。12 時から 50 分の昼食を経てイルカ・プール へ。ネズミイルカと接した。生徒のさらに 1 人、風邪に罹る。
1 Sep - Tues - Classes all day for the students about Australia and a listening test in the theatre for all of the students for assessment purposes. Multicultural festival is on, with various events - food, entertainment, and music from various countries. 9 月 1 日（火）終日、オーストラリアに関する講義を、全生徒受講。また、シアターに て全生徒に対するリスニング・テストを実施。異文化交流フェスティバルが開催され ており、様々な国の文化に根ざす催し物－食べ物、エンターテイメント、そして音楽 －が行われた。
2 Sep - Wed - One of our students was in the local newspaper - her photo taken with one of the local Indian dignitaries as part of the muilticultural festival. Students had classes all day today, with their class teachers - Christine, Kerrie or June on some days. They did a presentation about a cultural aspect of Australia, and were very active and overall presented well.
9 月 2 日（水）生徒の 1 人が地元紙に。異文化交流フェスティバルの一環で、生徒 が地元で高官をしているアメリカインディアンと撮影されたものが掲載された。 本日 も終日講義。教員はクリスティーンとケリー、そしてたまにジューンである。全員、オ ーストラリアの特定の文化についてプレゼンテーションを行い、全体として積極的な、 そして満足のいく発表を披露した。
3 Sep - Thurs - Today was class as usual and the students are working all morning, and then doing an activity in the afternoon. Students have been doing a lot on Australian culture- the lifestyle, geography, and animals. After lunch 14 students did a surfing class for $50 with Bob Palmer (Liquid Assets Co. and part time lecturer on campus), or the other 18 practiced catching buses to go shopping into city centre, or the Plaza shopping centre. The surfing class however, was cold, but the students all tried to get the most out of their swim and surf.
9 月 3 日（木）本日は、午前中は講義、午後からはアクティビティを行なった。生徒 はオーストラリアの文化（特に、生活習慣、地理、オーストラリアの動物について）を 勉強。昼食後は、全員のうち 14 人が 1 人 50 ドルで、ボブ・パーマー（リキッド・アセ ッツ株式会社、また大学で非常勤講師）の指導のもとでのサーフィンのクラスを。残 る 18 人はバスで都心か、プラザ・ショッピングセンターかへ行き、買物を楽しんだ。 サーフィン・クラスは、寒かったものの、参加した生徒全員、積極的な姿勢で指導を 受けた。
4 Sep - Fri - One day excursion with Dan to the rain forest in Dorrigo and Bellengen (small village). Rainy weather for the 1st time since we arrived in Australia, but there were some clear times, and the students enjoyed a little historical village and a beautiful mountain view from the skywalk. However, while Bellengen is nice, and the view from the rainforest Dorrigo is nice, it isn't worth taking the whole day to go, unless there is time to do a hike into the rainforest. However students are not dressed for this, and not really interested. Next time we should choose a better optional tour for the day. While the students did that with their activity officer, I went to Lismore Southern Cross University campus to meet with the director, and staff and take photos of the campus.
9 月 4 日（金）ドリゴーにある熱帯雨林とベレンゲン（周縁の小さな町）へ、ダンととも に一日かけての遠足。オーストラリアに到着してから初めての雨に見舞われたが、 合間に晴れ空も見られた。生徒たちは、古い歴史を持つ町並と、山から俯瞰できる 美しい景色を堪能した。ベレンゲンは好所で、ドリゴーからの眺めも綺麗ではある が、熱帯雨林中をハイキングする余裕がなければ、丸一日かけて足を運ぶ所では ない。もっとも生徒はハイキングに適した身なりをしておらず、またハイキングにさし て興味を示していた訳でもないので、次回、一日かける遠足としてはより適当なオ プションを用意するべきかと思われる。生徒がそうしてアクティビティ担当教員と出 かけている間、リスモア・サザンクロス大学へ足を運び、キャンパス内の撮影をする ために大学のディレクターとスタッフと交流した。
5 Sep / 6 Sep - Weekend -- students looked after by their homestay families. Some of the students went on a whale watching boat trip on Saturday ($32 each) and saw 3 small whales about 10metres from the boat. Some of them got a bit sea sick though.
9 月 5・6 日（週末）生徒はホスト・ファミリーのお世話に。土曜日に何名かの生徒は クジラを見学するクルーズ（1 人 32 ドル）に参加し、三頭の小柄なクジラを、船から 10 メートルほどの距離で見ることができた。参加者のうち数名が船酔いした。
7 sep - Monday - Today was the last day for classes. I did a listening test, their class teachers practiced songs with them for the graduation afternoon tea from 4pm, and then in the afternoon from 1pm (they left uni and walked 15 mins to the closest local high school), they visited and talked with high school students, and asked questions.
The visits to the pre-school, high school, and TAFE technical college, as well as the attendance at a university level tourism (food and beverages) lecture have been great opportunities for them see the various levels of education in this area. we needed to collect the money for dinner in Sydney ($16.50), and the Port Macquarie Zoo on the way down to Sydney ($16) from the students.
9 月 7 日（月）本日をもって講義終了となった。リスニングの試験を行なった後、各ク ラスの担当教員らの指導で生徒たちは午後 4 時からの卒業パーティーのために歌 を練習した。練習の後、1 時より大学から最も近い地元の高等学校（徒歩 15 分）を 訪問し、高校生と喋ったり、質問などした。このように高等学校とともに、保育園や TAFE テクニカル・カレッジなどの見学・訪問の他、現地の大学生が受けるのと同水 準で行われた観光に関する講義（食文化について）を受けたのは、現地の様々な 段階での教育現場を目のあたりにできるという点でとても有意義な体験であった。 シドニーでの夕食（16・50 ドル）とシドニーへ移動する途中で寄るポート・マックォー リー動物園（16 ドル）の費用を徴収しなければならなかった。
8 Sep - Tuesday - we departed from the campus at 8am for Sydney.
9 月 8 日（火）シドニーへ向けてキャンパスを午前 8 時に出発した。
8 Sep Tues to Fri 11 Sep – 3 nights, we stayed at the Sydney Central Youth Hostel (YHA) and students went in groups of 2 or more, around on their own, after breakfast (continental) in the hostel which was included in the price, at 8:30am. Students had to be back by 8pm both days.
9 月 8 日−3 泊シドニーのユースホステルで泊まり朝 8:30am のコンチネンタル朝食 を食べてから、日本で作ったシドニーの観光スポットの資料を使って、夜の 8pm ま でグループで出かけて行きました。
11 Sep (Fri) – YHA forgot to make the booking for the shuttle bus, so we were late for check-in for the Jetstar flight. Only 1 student had to pay for 3 kilos over ($20 each extra kilo), and everyone else was OK. We arrived back safely to Kansai Airport, a little late at around 8pm. After gathering at the baggage area, to say goodbye, the students all headed off home safe and sound back in Japan.
9 月 11 日（金）出発日の朝 5:15am シャトルバスの予約をするのをユースホステルの スタフはわすれまして、大変こまりました。来年は違うところで宿泊をしたほうがいい です。
